Interstate 10 between Arizona, New Mexico open after another dust closure
May 17, 2016, 4:12 PM | Updated: 4:12 pm
(Twitter Photo/@dps_pio_lee)
(Twitter Photo/@dps_pio_lee)
PHOENIX — A portion of Interstate 10 between southern Arizona and New Mexico was reopened Tuesday after another closure due to blowing dust, the Arizona Department of Transportation said.
The 62-mile stretch between San Simon and Lordsburg, New Mexico, has been closed multiple times in the past weeks because of blowing dust and accidents.
Since April 7th which was our first dust collision we have closed the Interstate 7 times, including today.
— Kameron Lee, PIO (@dps_pio_lee) May 17, 2016
ADOT has taken steps to control the dust.
Eastbound I-10 traffic was being sent north on US 191 to US 70 eastbound. Drivers were directed to follow US 70 to Lordsburg, where they would have reconnected with I-10.
Westbound drivers were sent the opposite way: US 70 westbound to the southbound US 191, where they could have also reconnected with I-10.
To prevent more accidents, the Arizona Department of Safety and Arizona highway department reduced the speed limit to 65 MPH instead of 75 MPH. That applied to a stretch of the freeway between mileposts 374 and 378 in both directions.
DPS said the speed limit could be dropped to 45 MPH under extreme circumstances.
The highway patrol issued a list of do’s and don’ts for drivers facing windy, dusty weather:
• Do not stop in a travel lane or in the emergency lane
• Turn off all vehicle lights
• Take your foot off the brake
• Stay in the vehicle with your seat-belts buckled
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
